2009-12-08 The Gods Are Watching

A while ago I talked about the benefits and drawbacks of gods in my Alder King campaign. The gods are an eclectic mix of the following:

=> the benefits and drawbacks | Alder King

1. the Player’s Guide to the setting we’re playing in – we’re playing in Lenap, which is one of the maps in the Wilderlands of High Fantasy

2. the Gods and Demons available from Necromancer Games

3. the gods listed in Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia by Thulsa; check out his lists and notes on Gods and demons of the Hyborian Age

=> Lenap | Wilderlands of High Fantasy | Gods and Demons | Gods and demons of the Hyborian Age

In my campaign, players encounter settlements and factions, and they can gain good or bad reputation by helping or hindering them. I saw DM Peter use this system in his Grenzmarken campaign and liked it. Obviously this kind of thing is less interesting if there are no moral ambiguities. It’s more fun if only some of the player characters are in good standing with the humans of Delan, the swamp hag, or goblins of Grezneck. Fortunately, things have been working out for me and adding reputation to the campaign wiki pages of settlements and factions have made this a bit more visible.

=> Grenzmarken

As I was pondering the question of alignment again, I thought of reusing this reputation mechanics for the gods in my game. On my campaign wiki, I’ve created pages for the gods that have come up in play and I started listing player reputations. Thus, if they keep animating the dead, I don’t have to get into a discussion of whether the player thinks this is evil or not. Orcus is going to take an interest in the player’s actions one way or another.

=> the question of alignment | again | the gods that have come up in play

The benefits I’m hoping to see:

• Players get feedback as their reputation changes.
• It lists the things the gods like and dislike allowing players to act on that knowledge.
• Powerful players will attract the attention of demons and gods sooner or later.
• That attention in itself could motivate seeking the protection of other powers.
• Planar politics & religious war – new challenges for high-level play.

• Follow-up*: 2010-02-02 Reputation Mechanics.

=> 2010-02-02 Reputation Mechanics

​#RPG ​#thoughts ​#alignment ​#Reputation

Comments

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I like this idea of Karma. I am running Star wars d6 at the moment. The rules say that if you gain too many dark side points your character becomes an NPC. I think it would be cool to use your idea. good karma the rebels become interested in you. Bad the imperials become interested but allowing the characters to carry on, only getting jobs/missions based on thier karma. Its possible that an evil GM coul limit options depending on how far the PCs go one way or the other. No you can’t save the puppy, you are too evil right now. lol

– misterecho 2009-12-08 23:32 UTC

=> misterecho

Hehe... Or you can save the puppy but it hates you! 😄

– Alex Schroeder 2009-12-09 00:23 UTC

=> Alex Schroeder